It’s hard believe it’s been 20 years since the 1992 USA Olympic basketball “Dream Team” — probably still the greatest single team of athletes ever assembled — won gold at the Barcelona Games. It’s even harder to believe there was a time when the greatest basketball players in the world weren’t eligible for Olympic competition, since the U.S. couldn’t field pro players while other countries could. While the USA was dominant for years fielding teams with college kids, the rules changed for the ’92 games and NBA players became eligible. The USA assembled 11 NBA greats (and one amateur, Duke’s Christian Laettner) to play in Barcelona and forever change the world’s view of basketball.

On Wednesday, June 13, at 9pm ET, NBA TV presents The Dream Team, a 90-minute documentary looking back at that historic team of basketball greats. With never-before-seen footage, interviews with all 12 members of the team and lots of inside stories revealed, The Dream Team presents the full inside story of that legendary team.

With basketball now a global game and the NBA comprised of the best players from around the world, it’s also a nostalgic look back to another era, when the USA still ruled the sport and the greatest players set aside their differences (and their financial interests) to play for national pride.

Press release with more details from NBA TV below:

NBA TV Celebrates The 20th Anniversary of USA Basketball’s Dream Team

Film to Feature Exclusive Interviews with All 12 Members of 1992 Historic Hall of Fame Team, Never-Before-Seen Footage, and Untold Stories

Definitive Documentary to Premiere on Wednesday, June 13 at 9 p.m. ET

NEW YORK, May 17, 2012 – NBA TV will celebrate the 20th anniversary of USA Basketball’s iconic team, which captured the attention of fans around the globe, when the network premieres NBA TV’s “The Dream Team” presented by Right Guard® on Wednesday, June 13, at 9 p.m. ET.

Narrated by writer/director/producer Ed Burns, the film will be the definitive documentary of the historic 1992 USA Basketball team, featuring recent interviews with all 12 members, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley.

The 90-minute documentary will showcase never-before-seen footage and untold stories of how the most dominant team ever assembled returned USA Basketball to glory, while turning basketball into a global phenomenon.

The world had rarely seen a frenzy as the one the Dream Team created when it arrived in Barcelona, Spain, in July 1992. The Dream Team featured 11 future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame players and three future Hall of Famers on the coaching staff, including head coach Chuck Daly.

NBA TV’s “The Dream Team” presented by Right Guard® will take viewers on a behind-the-scenes journey into the selection of the team, the dynamic personalities, the legendary team-building experiences in training camp and exhibitions, and ultimately its rock-star-type unveiling in Barcelona.

NBA TV’s “The Dream Team” presented by Right Guard® will include:
· Exclusive one-on-one interviews with the entire Dream Team: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and John Stockton, as well as assistant coaches Lenny Wilkens, Mike Krzyzewski, and P.J. Carlesimo
· The Team’s only loss, as documented through rare footage from USA Basketball’s film library, and the untold story behind what has become part of basketball legend
· The Story of the greatest game never seen, featuring exclusive footage from 20 years ago in Monte Carlo when Magic and Jordan went head-to-head in practice
· How The Team was chosen: the story behind the selection process for the Dream Team’s roster
· Many other exclusive interviews with those connected to the team.

Photo: John McDonough/Icon SMI 500/Newscom

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About Ryan Berenz

Star Wars nerd. Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL). Father of two. Husband of one. I write about sports on TV because I am bad at sports in real life.